Method and system for providing connectivity between clients connected to the internet

Abstract

A method and a system ( 5 ) for identifying and connecting clients ( 1 a - 1 d ) connected to the same network ( 2 ) comprising a control server ( 6 ), performing the steps of connecting a first client ( 1 a - 1 d ) running a web browser application ( 4 a - 4 d ) to the control server ( 6 ) and registering client specific connection information associated with the first client, receiving from the web browser application ( 4 a - 4 d ) a request for an unique URI defined by the control server ( 6 ) and associated with a second client ( 1 a - 1 d ), requesting the control server ( 6 ) to mediate a connection to the second client ( 1 a - 1 d ) associated with the unique URI and receiving data from the second client ( 1 a - 1 d ) on the direct connection and forwarding the data to the web browser application ( 4 a - 4 d ) for displaying the received data in a graphical user interface.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for identifying and connecting clients connected to the same network comprising several control servers, comprising the steps of
 connecting a first client running a web browser application to one of the several control servers, wherein the control server connected to the first client registers client specific connection information associated with the first client, 
 receiving from the web browser application a request for a unique URI defined by one of the control servers and associated with a second client, 
 requesting a control server connected to the second client to mediate a connection to the second client associated with the unique URI, 
 receiving connection information associated with the second client, 
 establishing a direct connection to the second client by using the connection information associated with the second client, which connection establishment is mediated by the control server connected to the second client, 
 receiving data from the second client on the direct connection and forwarding the data to the web browser application for displaying the received data in a graphical user interface, 
 the steps are carried out by a plug-in installed in said web browser application, which plug-in communicates with the control server connected to the first client and the control server connected to the second client, 
 the URI assigned to the second client by the control server connected to the second client is a URL that can be resolved using the infrastructure of the domain name system, 
 the second client comprises a web server to which incoming requests from the first client are directed, and 
 the second client asks the existing domain name system infrastructure to resolve the IP address of the client's own unique URL assigned and defined by the control server connected to the second client in order to obtain the IP address of the second client's control server. 
 
     
     
       2. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the method is embedded in an operating system comprising an API adapted to interact with the web browser application. 
     
     
       3. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said first and second client in the step of establishing a direct connection uses TCP or UDP hole punching mediated by said control server connected to the second client to establish a direct connection for communication. 
     
     
       4. A method according to  claim 3 , wherein the connection information for each client comprises an IP address and a port number. 
     
     
       5. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the connection mediation of the control server connected to the second client is distributed to one or multiple levels of clients appointed as client subcontrollers. 
     
     
       6. A method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the initial step of
 the web browser application initially receives a web page comprising an embedded web page application and wherein subsequent steps are carried out by the embedded web page application. 
 
     
     
       7. A method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of
 receiving from the control servers information of accessible clients comprising unique URIs associated with clients connected to the control servers, 
 forwarding said information to the web browser application running on the first client for displaying the information in the graphical user interface. 
 
     
     
       8. A system for identifying and connecting devices connected to the same network, the system comprising at least one processor and a memory coupled to the at least one processor and several control servers, a first device, and a second device, the second device comprising a web server, wherein
 a first device running a web browser application connects to one of the control servers, and wherein the control server connected to the first device registers specific connection information associated with the first device, 
 a second device connects to one of the control servers, and wherein the control server connected to the second device registers device specific connection information associated with the second device, 
 the second device is assigned a unique URI, 
 the control server connected to the second device is requested to mediate a connection to the second device associated with the unique URI by the web browser application running on the first device, 
 the control server connected to the second device forwards connection information associated with the second device to the first device, and the control server connected to the first device forwards connection information associated with the first device to the second device, 
 the control server connected to the second device mediates the establishment of a direct connection between the first device and the second device, 
 the first device receives data from the second device, which are forwarded to the web browser running on the first device and displayed in a graphical user interface, 
 the web browser application comprises a plug-in, which communicates with the control server connected to the first device and the control server connected to the second device, 
 the URI assigned to the second device by the control server connected to the second device is a URL that can be resolved using the infrastructure of the domain name system, 
 the second device comprises a web server to which incoming requests from the first device are directed, and 
 the second device asks the existing domain name system infrastructure to resolve the IP address of the device's own unique URL assigned and defined by the control server connected to the second device in order to obtain the IP address of the second device's control server. 
 
     
     
       9. A system according to  claim 8 , wherein an operating system comprises an API adapted to interact with the web browser application. 
     
     
       10. A system according to  claim 8 , wherein the direct connection between the first and second devices is established by using TCP or UDP hole punching mediated by the control server connected to the second device. 
     
     
       11. A system according to  claim 8 , wherein the connection information for each device comprises an IP address and a port number. 
     
     
       12. A system according to  claim 8 , wherein the connection mediation of the control server connected to the second device is distributed to one or multiple levels of devices appointed as device subcontrollers. 
     
     
       13. A system according to  claim 8 , wherein the first device connects to the system through an embedded web application contained in a web page provided to the first device by a mediator web service of the system. 
     
     
       14. A system according to  claim 8 , wherein at least the first device
 receives from the control servers information of accessible devices comprising unique URIs associated with devices connected to the control servers, 
 forwards said information to a web browser application running on the first device for displaying the information in the graphical user interface.